So far it has traced the history up until Johnson. It doesn't wave the flag and sugar coat the details of how we got into it, but at the same time, I don't think Burns makes judgments as he presents the details of history but lets the viewer come to his own conclusions.

One thing that seems evident is that the US brought to Vietnam the notion that all Communists were the same and all Communists were evil and our enemy. It is the notion we all grew up with as we cowered under our desks in grade school during air raid drill. The dominoes must not fall. It didn't matter that the dictator the US supported at the start was more toxic to Democracy for the people in the south than Ho Chi Minh was as a communist in the north. When the US faced the fact that with each self immolating Buddhist Monk, Diem was increasingly hated by most his own people no crystal ball was need to see that everything was going down hill fast for the side the US had picked. Kennedy then supported the violent military coup that assured the continuing escalation of US involvement. The US believed then, as now, that the end justified the means. The only evil they were able to see was in others and rarely in themselves.

Maybe Burns will do a history on the Muslim wars one day...if it ever ends.

I have really enjoyed all the Ken Burns projects, this one seems to be as good as the rest so far.Some episodes are 1.5 hours and some 2 hours long. If you are one to watch tv on your computeror hook your computer to your tv, below is a link to PBS to watch the first 5 episodes now and the rest on Sept 24. I record everything and watch when I want, I didn't buy a big tv to watchthings on a computer monitor....... .... But I know some folks do that.